The Indian Express  29.08.2012

Civic body scholarship plan exceeds budgetary limit

Number of students has increased, forcing the civic body to shell
out Rs 18 crore this year against the allocated amount of Rs 4 crore

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) started a scholarship
programme for students of Classes X and XII four years ago with expected
expense of Rs 4 crore per year. However, since the PMC did not put any
restriction on income of beneficiaries, the number of students seeking
benefit has skyrocketed, forcing the civic body to now shell out Rs 18
crore this year.

Compounding the problem for the civic body is the fact that its
budgetary provision is mere Rs 8 crore for awarding the scholarship.
Officials said the PMC will have to divert funds from other projects.

In 2008-09, parties launched the popular scholarship programme
for students who score above 80 per cent marks in Classes X and XII. As
per the scheme, the PMC will provide Rs 15,000 a year to those who score
80 per cent above marks in Class X and Rs 25,000 to those scoring above
80 per cent in Class XII for which the PMC earmarked Rs 4 crore but had
to shell out Rs 4.8 crore.

“We have collected information from the state education board
that conducts Classes X and XII results. The expenses for the scheme are
likely to reach Rs 18 crore this year. We will have to seek diversion
of funds to meet the demand,” said Dnyaneshwar Molak, joint municipal
commissioner and in-charge of urban community development.

Molak said the PMC can do little if there is an increase in the
number of applicants. “All the applicants submitting the required
documents will have to be given the benefits.”

In 2011-12, the PMC had made a provision of Rs 7 crore but it
increased to Rs 13 crore. With the increasing expense on the scheme, the
civic administration had tried to bring in some check by allowing the
benefit only for students whose parents’ annual income is less than Rs 5
lakh. But corporators had rejected the administration’s proposal.

“The increased amount is too much and this means tax payers’
money meant for development purposes would get diverted for this
scheme,” said activist Vivek Velankar. The civic body should raise the
80 per cent pass criteria to 90 per cent so that the number of
beneficiaries would reduce, he said.

Velankar said the annual income criteria would also ensure that
the poor gets the benefit. The popular scheme to attract voters is
turning out to be a scheme for promotion of corporators, he said. “The
corporators put huge banners about the scheme in their electoral wards.
They try to take the credit of the scholarship,” Velankar said.